Biba Goes Bust

This just in from PSFK.

Biba Goes POP!

by Simon King in Fashion
Laura Weir from Drapers Record tells us that Ironic (sorry, Iconic) brand Biba’s main licencee Biba International has gone into administration.

I remember Biba from my youth. A big, dark, fabulous department store in the Derry & Tom’s building on Kensington High Street, I spent many a Saturday there as a kid, pretending to be much cooler than I actually was at the time. It was the most wonderful place, full of great hats, gorgeous, flowery dresses, platform shoes – imagine the best dressing up box in the world and that was Biba. It was one of the first department stores that really understood the importance of the retail environment. Everything else at the time was drab and boring.

Then, a few years ago it sprung up again as a designer clothing brand. I saw a couple of seasons and I wasn’t all that impressed. The price tags were well beyond the reach of most people. It was unaccessible, unlike the old Biba. I suppose the clothes were expensive back in the 1970’s too but there always seemed to be something in the old shop that anyone could afford.

I’m not half as cynical as the folks at PSFK but I’m not surprised either. The new Biba never really seemed to capitalise on the goodwill so many of us had towards the old Biba. Now, if only someone would relaunch Ossie Clark, updating some of their classic dresses, that really would be something…

Tags: Biba, Ossie Clark